System of house construction



June 3,,1930., DBEALE 1,761,289

SYSTEM OF HOUSE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June3, 1930. D. BEALE 1,761,289

SYSTEM OF HOUSE CONSTRUCTION I FiIed April 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented June 3, 1930 UNITED STATES DAVID BEALE, OF NORTH OHATTANOOGA,TENNESSEE SYSTEM OF HOUSE CONSTRUCTION Application fil ed April 25,

My invention relates to a method of house construction and tobuildingsconstructed according to such method. One object of my invention is theprovision of means for supporting the roof in such fashion as to makeunnecessary the employment of cross rafters, the result being a buildingin which the socalled attic space may be incorporated with the roomspace below it. Another object is 19 the provision of a structure and abuilding method whereby walls of minimum height may be employed, owingto the incorporation into the room'space of what is wasted attic spacein the usual construction. Another object is the provision of means forcross-bracing or supportingthe side walls, and particularlythe beams atthe tops of the side walls in order to eliminate to a minimumcross-connecting members. Another object is the provision of tensionmembers for connecting side walls or beam structures at the top of sidewalls, which are so spaced and positioned as to be incorporated in orconcealed in end walls or transverse walls. Another object is theprovision of beam structures for wall tops which shall at the same timeserve as roof supports and as eaves. Other objects will appear from timeto time in the course of the specification and claims. t

' I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation with partsbroken away; 7 t

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure l;

Figure 3' is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a partial transverse vertical section on an enlarged scale;I

Figure5 is a section similar to Figure 2 through a variant form of mystructure;

Figure 6 is an enlarged section, similar to Figure 4', ofthe variantdevice;

Figures 7 8 and 9 are vertical transverse sections through variousapplications of my invention;

Figure 10 is a section on the line 10-1O of Figure9; and

be hooked about the reinforcements B, as

beamsB being thus entirely concealed.

their tops as at C and there being connected 1928 Serial No. 272,623.

Figure 11 is a partial vertical transverse section ofa further variationof my invention.

Referring first to the form of Figures 1 to 4 A generally indicates anysuitable foundation structure or support. A indicates side walls, A theend wall and A a transverse partition wall and A the floor.

Positioned upon the tops of the side walls A are beam structuresgenerally indicated 6, as B and herein shown as "including a portion 13outwardly extending from the wall,

a portion B overlying the wall and a portion B inwardly extending fromthe wall. B are longitudinal reinforcements, steel bars'or the like, andB is a transverse tie rod, herein shown as extending into the beam Bwhich is formed, in any suitable manner, of concrete. The member B mayat B in order permanently to tie the tie rod or tension member B at eachend to the transverse beams. Suchrods or reinforcements B may beincorporated either in end walls or in transverse partitionsyas shown inFigure 8, but are preferably so spaced I as to leave the space betweensuch walls and partitions free and open, the transverse tensionconnection between any given pair of Thus the attic space, generallyindicated in Figure 2 as 13 is left free of beams or supporting membersand may form part of the room otherwise defined by the side walls A,'the end walls A and the transverse partitions A Referring to Figures 2and 4, it will be seen that the rafters C extend upwardly and inwardlyfrom the beams B, meeting at and supported upon each other in anysuitable manner. The top of the beamB may be slightly downwardly andoutwardly inclined as at C in order to shed the water which flows downthe roof proper C. C indicates any suitable drip channels or means forpreventing the water so discharged from flowing back along the bottom ofthe beam B to the wall A It will be understood that in effect the beamsB, tied together at their ends, and intermediately at partition points,take up all the lateral thrust of the rafters C. Thus to the walls thereis transmitted only the direct downward thrust and the walls may be madeof relatively light material or may be provided with spaced verticalstrengthening points or supports, as for example the vertical beams Eshown in connection with the form of Figures 7 and 8.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6 I employ a variant form of my device inwhich the longitudinal beams D rest upon the tops of the walls A and areapertured as at D to permit the passage therethrough of tie rods D whichmay be locked for example by the nuts D screwthreaded to the endsthereof this form the member D may if desired, be

a flat wooden beam;

D indicates a filler, above the beam, and D any suitable roofingstructure or covering, herein shown as continuing downwardly over thefiller D and downwardly about the edge of the beam D to terminate in adepending Water-shedding edge D Referring to the form of Figures 7 and 8I illustrate vertical supports E for the wall top beams, the members Ebeing illustrated as I beams which may rest directly upon thefoundations A. It will be understood that such beams mayif desired beemployed also with the form of Figure 1 in order to reinforce the wallsA or to permit the use of a lighter wall structure than would otherwisebe possible. 7

In the form of Figures 7 and 8 however I employ for the upper beamschannel beams E upon which may be secured by any suitable means theupwardly and inwardly extending rafters E illustrated as I beams, whichmay be connected, in partitions and end Walls, for example by thetransverse beams or tension members E In Figure 8 I have illustrated themembers E connected by transverse beams or tension members E concealedin the floor E Referring to Figures 9 and 10 I apply my principalconstruction to the top story of a multiple story house, in order toincrease the attic space. In such case, upon the walls A I position topbeams G generally identical with those shown in Figures 2 and 4 save forthe downward projection therefrom of the supporting and reinforcingportions G which in turn are supported upon vertical supports G Themembers G and its associated positions, which are downwardly andinwardly inclined as at G to conceal reinforcing members, are connectedwith any suitable floor structure G. I have illustrated the mainreinforcing element Gr which extends from the longitudinal reinforcementG of the beam downwardly through the portion G or G and across the floorG. G G are vertical reinforcements which may extend upwardly through thesupports G to the portion G or to the floor G Referring to Figure 11 Iemploy a variant form of my device in which a plurality of tensionmembers H H are employed which may be hooked about a plurality oflongitudinal reinforcements H H in the beam structure II.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and shown a practicaland operative device, nevertheless many changes might be made in thesize, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from thespirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings tobe taken as inv a broad sense illustrative and diagrammatic rather thanas limiting me to my specific showing.

The use .and operation of my invention are as follows:

It has been customary in the past to employ rafter ties extending fromwall to wall or, when such ties are omitted, to employ a massive Wallstructure sufficiently powerful and heavy to resist the lateral thrustresultant from the employment of rafters up- .wardly and inwardlyinclined from the wall tops. In constructing according to my invention Iemploy reinforcements or beams along the tops of the rafter supportingwalls, these beams being tied together by a relatively small number oftie bars or other tension members, which may be concealed in a partitionor end wall. Thus in effect I employ a roof structure, including thesesupporting beams and their transverse connections, which is a lid whichcan be placed on the top of thin walls and which exerts only downwardpressure. The lateral stresses or thrusts are taken by the beams orreinforcements which run along the wall tops and which, being connectedat intervals by the tension members concealed in end walls or inpartitions, are in effect a single structural unit. Since this roofstructure exerts only downward pressure, I may employ a light Wallstructure or, if I wish, a

wall structure which is merely an interme- 7 diate covering whichsurrounds or is associated with spaced vertical supports, such as the Ibeams E of Figures 7 and 8.

Further, since the rafter ties are eliminated and the attic space isusable, I may drop the height of the wall, for one story houses, andincorporate the attic space with the main space of the house, thus verysubstantially reducing the cost of construction.

In a multiple story house I may obtain the result of a two story houseby employing walls of one and one-half story height, by

running the transverse tie rods or supports inthe floor of the secondstory, as shown in Figures 9 and 10.

I further eliminate costs by eliminating the use of down spouts andgutters. The broad beam B or G, as the case may be, or D, serves to shedthe water, and the height of the wall being low, the water may beallowed to drip directly from the eaves. I may employ any suitablemeans, such as the notch C to prevent the flow of water back toward thewall along the bottom of the beam.

I claim:

1. A house construction, including walls spaced apart, longitudinalbeams extending in parallel along the tops of such walls, transversetension members connecting such beams, such tension members beingconcealed in transverse walls or partitions, and a roof structuremounted upon and supported upon the longitudinal beams, such roofstructure including rafters extending upwardly and inwardly from saidbeams, the tension members being adapted to resist the outward thrust ofsaid roof and rafters.

2. A house construction, including walls spaced apart, longitudinalbeams extending in parallel along the tops of such walls, transversetension members connecting such beams at their ends, and a roofstructure mounted upon and supportedupon the longitudinal beams, suchbeams, and the transverse tension members, being adapted to resist theoutward thrust of the roof thereagainst intermediate the tensionmembers, the tension members being concealed in transverse walls orpartitions.

3. In a house construction, a roof sup port including horizontalsupporting members positioned on the walls and transverse tensionmembers connecting them, rafters inclined upwardly and inwardly from thehorizontal supporting members and directing substantially their entireoutward thrust therea-gainst, the tension members being adapted, inconnection with the horizontal supporting members, to resist the thrustagainst the horizontal supporting members, the tension members beingpositioned in transverse walls or partitions.

4. In a house construction, walls of relatively light construction,longitudinal reinforcing and supporting members extending along the walltops and adapted to receive the downward and outward thrust of the roof,vertical supports for said longitudinal members, positioned at intervalsalong the wall, and transverse tension members, connecting saidlongitudinal members, and adapted, with said longitudinal members, toresist the outward thrust of the roof against the longitudinal members,such tension members being concealed in transverse walls or partitions.

5. In a house construction, a plurality of spaced walls, longitudinalbeams extending from end to end of said walls, transverse tying tensionmembers connectin said beams, rafters upwardly and inwardly extendingfrom said beams and meeting intermediate said walls, said rafters beingadapted to direct their outward thrust against said beams, and verticalsupports for said beams spaced along said walls.

6. In a house construction, a plurality of spaced walls, longitudinalbeams extending from end to end of said walls, transverse tying tensionmembers connecting said beams, rafters upwardly and inwardly extendingfrom said beams and meeting intermediate said walls, said rafters beingadapted to direct their outward thrust against said beams, saidtransverse tension members being concealed in transverse partitions orconnecting walls.

7. A house structure including low and lightly constructed walls,longitudinal beams extending along the tops of said walls, relativelystrong and rigid in relation to said walls, and tension membersconnecting said beams at a plurality of points, said tension membersbeing concealed in transverse walls and partitions, and a roof structuremounted upon said beams and adapted to direct pressure downwardly andoutwardly against said beams, the structure which includes said beamsand tension members being adapted to direct against the wall pressureonly directly downwards.

8. A construction which includes relatively lightly constructed walls,relatively rigid beam members positioned in the upper portions of saidwalls, tension members connecting the beams of opposite parallel wallsand roof rafters extending upwardly and inwardly from said beams andadapted to direct an outward thrust against said beams, the tensionmembers being concealed in transverse walls or partitions.

Signed at Chattanooga, county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, this19th day of April, 1928.

DAVID BEALE.

